“We’re both heartbroken over leaving,” Williams and Blackman said in their joint statement last week, “but we feel strongly that you all deserve stories that push the character and the series forward. We can’t reliably do our best work if our plans are scrapped at the last minute, so we’re stepping aside. We are committed to bringing our run to a satisfying conclusion and we think that Issue 26 will leave a lasting impression.”

CBR reached out to DC Comics representatives for clarification on the discrepancy between Williams and Blackman’s statement and DiDio’s comments at Baltimore Comic-Con. The publisher’s response was, “No comment.”

However, it seems as though the publisher had not informed Williams and Blackman that they would be wrapping up their final arc a full two issues prior to their planned departure. Over the weekend, Williams took to Twitter to express the unexpected nature of DiDio’s comments.

“Sadly, I guess with a new writer starting on Batwoman 25 means that the issue 25 we wrote already isn’t coming out,” Williams said via Twitter, continuing to say he and Blackman would likely not be able to give even a rough idea of how they intended to end the series. “Having two chapters cut from an arc does story damage.”

The publisher’s December solicitations are due for release later today and, should they include “Batwoman” #26, may provide a clearer picture as to the discrepancy between DiDio’s comments and Williams and Blackman’s intended departure.

The original solicitation text for “Batwoman” #25 is as follows:

BATWOMAN #25

Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN

Art by TREVOR McCARTHY and JEREMY HAUN

Cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III

1:25 B&W Variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III

On sale NOVEMBER 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

The no-holds-barred battle between Batwoman and Batman threatens to kill them both!